Editor’s note: This is the first entry of One KC Voice’s Imagine KC blog series. One entry will be posted each day between now and April 13. Each entry will be a commentary on one of Imagine KC’s 13 strategies that could help make the Kansas City region more sustainable. Learn more about Imagine KC at www.onekcvoice.org/imaginekc.
Guest writer: Kevin Klinkenberg, American Institute of Architects, Kansas City chapter; 180° Design Studio
Who doesn’t want healthy downtowns? After all, isn’t that like mom and apple pie?
The truth is, universally people declare that they wish their immediate downtown was vibrant and healthy, as well as other downtowns in the region. And yet we seem to struggle to achieve this in so many of our communities. Why is this? Do we not mean what we say?
Of course, the answers are complex. In some cases, we have willfully presided over the demise of the hearts of our communities, but most of the time it’s unintended consequences that have caused so much damage. We’ve created big roadways that bypass or cut off our downtowns, land use policies that make redevelopment difficult, encouraged or subsidized their competition in shopping centers with free parking, and in general not realized the appeal that these places have to so many people. But the good news is threefold:
First, we still have good “bones” to work with in many of our communities. Any community in the area older than the 1950s — and that’s most of them — has some semblance of a downtown that is still functioning today. Some are doing quite well. So it’s not like we have to start from scratch like some other areas.
Second, we have a collective history of vibrant places connected by rail as well as by road. In fact, we often forget that all of our communities, pre-World War II, were the kinds of places we seek to create now: walkable, mixed-use and transit-oriented. Too often we’ve let myth overtake us, and forget that healthy downtowns are part of our history.
And most importantly, after decades of hand-wringing, we now know what to do about it. Some places are farther along than others, but the recipes are not that complicated: a substantial and diverse residential population; streets and civic spaces that make walking enjoyable; a professional management agency with steady funding to promote and advocate the importance of urban areas; transportation policies that bring people downtown; land use policies such as form-based zoning codes that make mixed-use, walkable development easy and predictable; parking plans that manage use rather than prescribing unnecessary over-supply; and most importantly, connections. Our downtowns need connections to their surrounding neighborhoods, and also to each other. The vibrancy of a downtown Overland Park is only enhanced by a direct connection to a vibrant downtown Mission.
If it sounds easy, it isn’t. We still have to overcome politics, baggage of past issues, skeptical residents, and most often inertia. And these things certainly don’t happen in a year or two or even five. It took many of our downtowns decades to decline, and we can’t expect them to immediately recover. But recover they must, for if we are truly to become “America’s Green Region,” we must begin with how we live and work in our communities.
How can the downtown’s survive on just Empty Nesters (old people who are not sustanable much longer) and want to get away from kid communities without going into the retirement community, and the young singles who are living the downtown environment to meet other singles and to get away from all the communities that remind them that they are still single? How can you attract world class schools when there are no world class kids or any kids? How do you get the transients out of downtown so people feel safe? Where will the infrastructure money come from for the rebuild the “right way” now that the cities have big debts for entertainment and sports teams and the Federal government wants the rest to support those who will not work or get trained in a skilled trade?
I look forward to the next couple of weeks it should be very entertaining
This blog’s great!! Thanks
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Great write-up. I agree that downtown needs walkable, mixed-use, transit oriented communitites to be vibrant.
Downtown night life should also focus on not being exclusive to certain demographics.
[...] Klinkenberg guest writes for OneKC Voice about maintaining and developing a healthy [...]
The deterioration of downtowns did not occur in a few days but instead over many years. The revitalization of downtowns will happen in the same manner over years by creating attractive areas where people want to work, play and live.
Few enjoy the daily commute and traffic congestion. All want children to have access to a quality education. All want access to places to play and be entertained. All want safe environments in which to live. These are common qualities of living in urban, suburban or rural communities. Therefore, the question is how do we create this quality environment in which we want to live?
The underlying current in this question is our region and the world are shifting demographically to an older society with many more people are age 65 and older and want to age in community. Over the next twenty years it is projected the age 65 and older population will double to comprise 20% or more of our communities. They will demand housing that is low maintenance; close to needed goods and services; and they are a group willing to give time and energy to schools, libraries and more.
It is time to address communities from a living perspective for people of all ages. How can each generation help the other achieve those basic ‘wants’ – places we want to work, play and live?
The decisions we make over the coming years will determine the future – it is up to us.